John Duncombe

Rev. John Duncombe (29 September 1729 - 19 January 1786) was an English poet, clergyman, and antiquarian. He was a well-known poet, who wrote in 1754 a celebration of British women poets, the Feminiad.

John Duncombe (1729-1786). Portrait by Joseph Highmore (1692-1780). Courtesy ArtUK.

Life

Youth and education

Duncombe was born in London, the only child of writer William Duncombe.

He had his early education at 2 schools in Essex.

On 1 July 1745 he entered Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, earning a B.A. in 1748 and an M.A. in 1752. He was afterwards chosen fellow of his college.

Career

In 1753 Duncombe was "ordained at Kew Chapel by Dr. Thomas, bishop of Peterborough, and appointed, by the recommendation of Archbishop Herring, to the curacy of Sundridge in Kent; after which he became assistant-preacher at St. Anne's, Soho"

Duncombe was in succession chaplain to Squire, bishop of St. David's, and to Lord Cork. In 1757 Archbishop Herring, his constant friend, presented him with the united livings of St. Andrew and St. Mary Bredman, Canterbury. He was afterwards made 1 of the 6 preachers in Canterbury Cathedral.

In 1761 he married Susanna, daughter of Joseph Highmore.

In 1773 he obtained from Archbishop Cornwallis the living of Herne, near Canterbury, "which afforded him a pleasant recess in the summer months." The archbishop also appointed him master of St. John's Hospital, Canterbury, and, as no emolument was annexed, gave him a chaplaincy, which enabled him to hold his 2 livings.

He died at Canterbury; his wife and an only daughter survived him.

Writing

Of his many poems the best known were, An Evening Contemplation in a College, being a Parody on the “Elegy in a Country Churchyard” (1753), The Feminead (1754), and Translations from Horace (1766–7). His numerous occasional pieces, as "On a Lady sending the Author a Ribbon for his Watch," do not require notice.

Of works connected with archæology, Duncombe wrote: 1. Historical Description of Canterbury Cathedral, 1772. 2. A translation and abridgment of Battely's Antiquities of Richborough and Reculver 1774. 3. History and Antiquities of Reculver and Herne, and of the "Three Archiepiscopal Hospitals at and near Canterbury" (contributed to Nichols's Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica, vols. i. and iv. 1780).

Duncombe edited: 1. Letters from Italy of John Boyle, 1st earl of Cork and Orrery, 1773. 2. Letters by several Eminent Persons deceased, including the Correspondence of J. Hughes, Esq., 1773. 3. Letters from the late Archbishop Herring to William Duncombe, Esq., deceased, 1777. 4. Select Works of the Emperor Julian, 1784. He also published several sermons.

Publications

Poetry

• An Evening Contemplation in a College: Being a parody on the 'Elegy in a Country Churchyard'. Lndon: R. & J. Dodsley, 1753.
• Horace, book 2 satire vii imitated. London: 1752. 1754.
• The Feminiad: A poem. London: M. Cooper, 1754.
• Poems. London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1756; Dublin: G. & A. Ewing, 1756.
• The Feminiad; or, Female genius: A poem / An Evening Contemplation in a College. London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1757.
• Surry Triumphant, or, The Kentish men's defeat: Being a parody of Chevy Chase. London: J. Johnson, 1773.
• An Elegy, Written in Canterbury Cathedral. Canterbury, UK: Simmons & Kirkby, 1778.

Non-fiction

• A Sermon Preached ... for a general thanksgiving. London: J. Whiston & B. White, 1759.
• A Sermon Preached in the Parish-church of St. Anne, Westminster. London: J. Whiston & B. White, 1759.
• The History and Antiquities of the Two Parishes of Reculver and Herne. London: J. Nichols, 1760, 1784.
• A Sermon Preached at the Consecration of the Parish-church of St. Andrew. Canterbury, UK: T. Smith, 1774.
• The Civil War between the Israelites and Benjamites: Illustrated and applied in a sermon. Canterbury, UK: T. Smith, et al, 1778.
• A Historical Description of the Metropolitan Church of Christ, Canterbury. London: Simmons & Kirkby, 1783.
• The History and Antiquities of the Three Archiepiscopal Hospitals at and near Canterbury (with Nicholas Battely). London: J. Nichols, 1785.

Translated

• John Battely, The Antiquities of Richborough and Reculver: Abridged from the Latin. London: J. Johnson, 1774.
• J. Vaniere, Fishing: A Translation from the Latin: Book XV, Upon fish. London: R. Triphook, 1809.

Edited

• A Select Collection of Original Letters ... from the reign of Henry VIII to the present time (2 volumes), London: J. & J. Rivington / R. & J. Dodsley, 1755. Volume I, Volume II
• Horace, The Works, in English Verse; by several hands (2 volumes), London: R. & J. Dodsley, 1757-1759; London: B. White, 1767.
• John Boyle, Earl of Orrery, Letters from Italy in the Years 1754 and 1755. London: B. White, 1773.
• Letters by Several Eminent Persons Deceased ... including John Hughes. (2 volumes), London: J. Johnson, 1772; (3 volumes), London: J. Johnson, 1773.
• Select Works of the Emperor Julian. (2 volumes), London: J. Nichols for T. Cadell, 1784. Volume I, Volume II

Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.

See also

• List of British poets

References

•  Watt, Francis (1888) "Duncombe, John" in Stephen, Leslie Dictionary of National Biography 16 London: Smith, Elder, p. 177  . Wikisource, Web, June 8, 2016.

External links

Poems

• Duncombe, John (1729-1786) (1 poem) at Representative Poetry Online
• John Dumcombe at the Eighteenth-Century Poetry Archive (4 poems)
• Rev. John Duncombe (1729-1786) info & 11 poems at English Poetry, 1579-1830

Books

• John Duncombe at Amazon.com
• Works by or about John Duncombe in libraries (WorldCat catalog)

About

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen & Sidney Lee). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Duncombe, John